After eight trips to the postseason and two Super Bowl appearances, including one title, the Seahawks’ era of competitive football is over. Seattle finished the season with a 7-10 record and missed the playoffs for only the second time in nine years. In addition, the team parted ways with the last two players of the 2013 championship roster. Russell Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos in return for Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, two first-round picks (2022 — No. 9 overall — and 2023), two second-round picks (2022 — No. 40 overall — and 2023) and a 2022 fifth and fourth-round selection.
A few weeks after Wilson was traded, the Seahawks decided to released veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner. Both Wagner and Wilson came to Seattle in 2012, the year that ushered in a new era of football. Before making the trade with Denver, the Seahawks had no first-round picks in this year’s NFL Draft. They gave up their previous first-rounders to the New York Jets for the acquisition of safety Jamaal Adams.
Because of the trade with Denver, the Seahawks now have eight draft picks. Included in those picks are four in the first three rounds. With the arsenal of draft picks, Seattle will have the resources needed to start their rebuild. Today’s mock draft will project the first three rounds of where the Seahawks may venture on April 28.
Derek Stingley Jr: LSU (9, 1st Round) CB
Photo courtesy of LSU Athletics.
With Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner off the board, the Seahawks shift their attention towards LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. At the ninth spot, Stingley is the best player at the position and would become a significant upgrade for the Seahawks defense. Stingley is the type of corner that can excel at many things, such as stopping the run and being physical with receivers. In addition, his skill set fits right in line with what head coach Pete Carroll envisions for a cornerback.
Desmond Ridder: Cincinnati (40, 2nd Round) QB
Photo courtesy of Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports.
There is no other way to put it; a team needs a reliable option at quarterback to be successful in today’s NFL. Yet, for nine years, the Seahawks did not worry about the lack of production from the quarterback position.
However, the era with Russell Wilson under center is now over. The team must find their QB of the future. The Seahawks will select Desmond Ridder out of Cincinnati to fill that void. No other QB’s resume comes close to what Ridder has accomplished at Cincinnati. The Bearcats were 43-6 with Ridder as the starting QB.
He never lost a game at home and holds numerous school and conference records. According to the scouting report, Ridder moves well in the pocket and possesses the arm and poise to drive the ball to every field level. The intriguing part about the Seahawks taking Ridder is that team already has two solid options in the passing game in Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
Tyler Smith: Tulsa (2nd Rd) OT
One of Seattle’s biggest struggles while Wilson was the QB, was the team’s inability to protect him. There was constant change along the Seahawks’ offensive line for most of Wilson’s tenure with the team. With a new quarterback under center in 2022, the Seahawks become more proactive than reactive to the situation. They select the best offensive tackle available in the second round in Tyler Smith out of Tulsa. Smith is known for his inline power to wash defenders and can create running room for tailbacks.
Brian Asamoah: Oklahoma (3rd Rd) LB
Photo courtesy of the USA Today.
So far, we have address the cornerback, quarterback, and offensive tackle positions in the first two rounds of the draft. In the third-round, the Seahawks hope to find another cornerstone player to start their rebuild. With the release of all-pro linebacker Bobby Wagner, Seattle must find a player that can provide the same type of intensity. Oklahoma University linebacker Brian Asamoah is a guy that could fill the void left behind by Wagner.
According to the Athletics’ draft expert, Dane Brugler Asamoah is an undersized linebacker, but has sideline to sideline speed with dependable tackling skills and upside in coverage. While Asamoah may be undersized, his ability to go sideline to sideline is going to pay huge dividends at the next level.
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